The digestive system is an essential to the human body. It helps in break down of the foods we eat into smaller components that can be absorbed by the body for its nourishment. This process is known as digestion. The process of digestion involves grinding of the food, foods movement through the digestive tract, breaking down of larger molecules, absorption of nutrients into the blood and removing waste from the body.
Anatomic terms describe the directions within the body as well as the body’s reference planes, cavities and regions.
The brain, which is housed and protected by in the bones of the skull, makes up all parts of the central nervous system above the spinal cord. The brain can be divided into two major parts: the lower brain stem and the higher forebrain.
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The spinal cord transmits messages that coordinate movement and sensation. The cord is an ovoid shaped column of nerve tissue that extends from the medulla at the underside of the brain down through cavities in the spinal column to the second lumbar vertebrae.
The wrist, links the hand to the arm. The wrist is a complex mechanical system of 8 small bones known as the carpal bones. The hand contains 19 bones: 5 elongated metacarpal bones, which are next to the wrist and make up the palm; 14 phalanges which make up the fingers.
The foot is incredibly complex. This introduction to the anatomy of the foot and ankle will be very general and highlight the main structures. The bones of the foot and ankle begin with the ankle joint itself. The ankle joint, talocrural joint, is formed where the leg meets the foot.
The spinal column is made up of 26 bones: 24 unique vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx (tail bone)—located at the end of the backbone. The Vertebrae appear to be chained together and form the backbone (spine). The lumbar spine are the disks L1 through L5 of the lower back.
The hip joint is one of the largest joints in the body and is a major weight-bearing joint. Weight bearing stresses on the hip during walking can be 5 times a person’s body weight. A healthy hip can support your weight and allow you to move without pain.
The shoulder joint is not a single joint, but a complex arrangement of bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons that is better called the shoulder girdle. The primary function of the shoulder girdle is to provide strength and range-of-motion to the arm.
This page has a definition and labeled image of the knee joint showing bones, ligaments, muscle and tendons with resources for knee problems & injuries.